Safety-stop for elevators



(No Model.) E

E. X. GENOUD.

. SAFETY STOP FOR ELEVATORS.

. No. 599,999. Patented Mar. 1, 1898.

4 d W/TNESSES: f INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EUGENE X. GENOUD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY-STOP FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,999, dated March 1,1898.

Application filed November 80, 1897- Serial No. (560,269. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE X. GnNoUn, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Stopfor Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in the mechanism of safetydevices intended for stopping elevators in case the suspendingcableshould break, and thus preventing their falling to the bottom of theshaft.

The invention consists of certain improvements, which will behereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is an elevation in partial section, showing my device asapplied to an elevator; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanismlocated upon one side of the elevator.

Fig. 1 shows at each side a section A of the wall of the elevator-welland of a beam which is placed at each side of the elevator-cage, andwhich mayin some constructions act as a guide for the elevator-cage torun upon. This beam may be of any suitable construction, but as shown inthe drawings is provided with a rack a, placed upon the side which istoward the center of the well. This might with some constructions besimply a plain wooden beam; but the use of the rack, as shown, isthought to be preferable.

The elevator-cage B is provided at its upper end, preferably upon thecross-beam B, which carries the elevator-cage, with levers E, pivoted ate to the beam near each end. The levers E extend outward and upward,being of such a length that when they are extended horizontally thewheels F, which'are mounted in their outer ends, will be projected farenough to firmly engage the'rack a, or the beam A if the rack isomitted.

The levers E are connected to the suspending. mechanism of theelevator-cage by means of the connecting-links G, which are made doubleor of two parts united by a turnbuckle g, so that they may be adjustedin length. The other ends of the links G are connected to thetoggle-links H, which are pivoted at one end, respectively, to theelevator-cage and to the lower end of the suspending cable I and attheir other ends to each other and to the links G. This forms a toggle-joint device having the connection of the link G at the centerthereof. The weight of the elevator-cage will normally keep these linksextended, so that the levers E are kept in a raised position, such thatthe wheel F is freed from the rack a.

In the construction shown in the drawings the levers E are madedouble-that is, one placed at each side of the wheelF. The shaft uponwhich the Wheel F turns is also provided with one or more drums orspools J, which are adapted to receive the cables D. These cables arewound upon the drum in such a manner that when the wheel is rotated byengagement with the rack the cable will be wound upon the drum. Thecable is extended from the drums down through the top of theelevatorcage and into pockets 0, formed in the side of ,theelevator-cage. Within these pockets 0, which are preferably formed by ametal tube, are placed spiral springs D, which are compressed by theupward movement of the cables D, said cables being attached to the lowerends of the springs. The springs D normally are under sufficient tensionto cause the levers E to be thrown outward far enough to en gagethewheels F with the racks to if the levers were free to move. Beingconnected by the links G to the suspending mechanism,they

are,however, prevented from moving outward unless the suspending-cable Iis broken. In this case the'wheels F will engage the racks a and beturned thereby. This will wind up the cables D and compress the springs.This will result in throwing greater strain upon the cables D, andconsequently hold the links outward with a greater force. As aconsequence the elevator -cage will quickly be brought to a standstill,and that without any sudden shock, such as would occur if a positivegrip were made upon the guides, as in the ordinary formof safety device.There will consequently be less liability of injury to any part of theconstruction or to the people who may be in the elevator at the time.

It is very evident that the racks a may be omitted and a plain woodenbeam be substituted therefor, in which case the wheels F wouldpreferably be wheels resembling sprocket-wheelsthat is, wheels havingradial teeth which are sharpened sufiiciently to engage the surface ofthe wood and bury themselves therein.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. Asafetydevice for elevators, comprising a wheelmounted upon the elevator-cage and adapted to be moved outward to engagean adjacent fixed body forming a part of or in the elevator-well, aspring connected to said wheel, to force it outward into engagement withsaid fixed body and adapted to be tightened by the consequent revolutionof the wheel, and a restraining connection from the wheel to thecage-supporting mechanism, substantially as described.

2. A safety device for elevators, comprising a lever pivoted upon theelevator-cage and extending upward and outward, a wheel journaled uponthe outer end of the arm, and adapted when the arm is swung outward toengage a fixed body upon the wall of the elevator-well, a springconnected to said wheel to swing it outward and to be tightened by theconsequent revolution of the wheel, and a restraining connection fromthe wheel to the elevator-supporting mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

3. A safety device for elevators, comprising a wheel mounted upon theelevator-cage andadapted to be moved outward to engage an adjacent fixedbody forming apart of the elevator-well, a spring connected to saidwheel, to force it outward or into engagement with said fixed body andadapted to be tightened by the consequent revolution of the wheel,pivoted links forming a part of the suspension connection, and arestraining connection from the central pivot of the links to thewheel-support and normally holding the wheel disengaged, substantiallyas described.

4. A safety device for elevators, comprising a wheel mounted upon theelevator-cage and adapted to be moved outward to engage an adjacentfixed body forming a part of the elevator-well, a spring connected tosaid wheel to force it outward or into engagement with said fixed bodyand adapted to be tightened by the consequent revolution of the wheel,pivoted links forming a part of the suspension connection, and arestraining connection consisting of a link in two parts connected byaturnbuckle and extending from the central pivot of the links to thewheel-support and normally holding the wheel disengaged, substantiallyas described.

5. A safety device for elevators, comprising a lever pivoted upon theelevator-cage and extending upward and outward, a wheel j ournaled uponthe outer end of the lever and adapted when the lever is swung outwardto engage a fixed body upon the wall of the elevator-well, a drumconnected to said wheel, a cable attached to and adapted to be woundupon the drum when the wheel is revolved by engagement with said fixedbody, a spring connected to said cable and acting against said rotationand to swing the wheel outward, and a restraining connection from thewheel to the cable-supportin g mechanism, substantially as described.

6. A safety device for elevators, comprising a lever pivoted upon theelevator-cage and extending upward and outward, a wheel jou rnaled uponthe outer end of the leverand adapted when the lever is swung outward toengage a fixed body upon the wall of the elevator-well, a drum connectedto said wheel, a cable attached to and adapted to be wound upon the drumwhen the wheel is revolved by engaging said fixed body, a springconnected to said cable and acting to swing the wheel outward, pivotedlinks forming a part of the suspension connection, and a rest-rainingconnection from the central pivot of the links to the arm and normallyholding the arm up, substantially as described.

'7. A safety device for elevators, comprising racks fixed at the sidesof the elevator-well, levers pivoted upon the elevator-cage andextending upward and outward, gear-wheels journaled upon the outer endsof said levers and adapted when the levers are swung outward to engagethe fixed racks, springs connected to said wheels to swing them outwardto engage the racks and tightened by the consequent revolution of thewheels, and a restraining connection between the wheels and theelevator-supporting mechanism, substantially as described.

8. A safety device for elevators, comprising racks fixed at the sides ofthe elevator-well, levers pivoted upon the elevator-cage and extendingupward and outward, gear-wheels journaled upon the outer ends of thelevers and adapted when the levers are swung outward to engage the fixedracks, springs connected to said wheels to swing them outward to engagethe racks and to be tightened by the consequent revolution of thewheels, pivoted links forming a part of the suspension connection, andrestraining connections from the central pivots of the links to thelevers and normally holding said levers up, substantially as described.

EUGENE X. GENOUD.

Witnesses:

H. L. REYNOLDS, EVERARD B. MARSHALL.

